What Dental Checkups for Children Typically Mean

Posted February 24, 2020

As an adult, you should be familiar with what your typical dental checkup entails, but that doesn’t always mean that your child’s dental checkup will go the same way. While a lot about caring for children’s teeth and oral health is the same as caring for your own smile, the reason children need children’s dentists is because they also have several concerns that are unique to their age. Today, we explore what dental checkups typically mean for children, and how we can help improve your child’s oral health by offering further protective treatments or addressing a concern that’s already developed.

The focus on preventive care

The main focus of your child’s dental care is prevention. The more successfully we can prevent any issues from developing, the more conservative and comfortable your child’s overall oral health care will be. The most important part of that prevention is the consistency of your child’s regularly scheduled checkup and cleaning appointments. During each visit, we’ll not only thoroughly clean away plaque and tartar from your child’s teeth, but also closely inspect their growth and development, including the strength of their tooth enamel. If the protective layer around your child’s teeth is especially weak, then preventing cavities and other concerns could require a bit more than a teeth cleaning.

If a little more protection is needed

In addition to cleaning your child’s teeth to thoroughly remove plaque and tartar – the main sources of cavity development – we can also provide preventive measures such as fluoride treatment for further protection. The enamel around your child’s teeth usually grows weak under attacks from oral bacteria. Strengthening the enamel with fluoride treatment can help prevent it from growing too weak to repel harmful oral bacteria, which is a precursor to cavity development. If necessary, we can also suggest dental sealants, which are made from clear, biocompatible acrylic and can create a barrier that stops bacteria from reaching the enamel at all.

If something needs to be addressed immediately

With excellent hygiene and consistent care at the dentist’s office, your child has a good chance of avoiding the development of cavities or other chronic oral health issues. However, if your child does a develop a cavity, then treating it as soon and as conservatively as possible is the best way to prevent the tooth decay from becoming more severe. If detected and addressed early enough, we may be able to treat your child’s cavity with a biocompatible, tooth-colored filling, which is made from composite resin and is safe for patients of all ages.

Schedule a dental checkup for your child

The health of your child’s smile can change before you realize it, which is why routine dental checkups are vital to their continued good oral health. Schedule an appointment by calling Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda in Dallas, TX today at 214-321-4880. We proudly serve patients who live around Casa Linda and all surrounding Dallas communities.